Test Match Special

Two Ashes winning England captains, Michael Vaughan and Sir Alastair Cook, join Steve Crossman to discuss the art of captaincy in cricket.
Leading England makes you one of the most recognisable faces in sport, it brings with it all manner of responsibility, scrutiny, joy and despair. But how do you manage different personalities in the dressing room? What marks someone out as a future England captain? What’s it like to be in the spotlight and face scrutiny? How do you cope when it comes to an end?
Plus, Ben Stokes leadership and the likely challenges the current England captain will face in his fifth summer as skipper.

Strategic Timeout is available to WATCH, in full, on the BBC Sport Youtube channel and on BBC iPlayer.
Amber Sandhu, Faraaz Noor and former England international Dawid Malan break down the biggest IPL 2026 talking points. From captaincy debates and pressure moments to high-scoring games and standout performances, the panel explore what’s shaping the tournament so far.

With insight from Malan’s IPL experience, the episode dives into the role of captains in T20 cricket, the value of all-rounders in the modern game and whether experience is becoming more important than ever. Plus, the team discuss the Impact Player rule and a wider ball tampering controversy.

Mark Chapman, Alex Hartley, Raf Nicholson and Kirstie Gordon are joined by England Head Coach Charlotte Edwards to preview a big year for England's women.
Is the domestic game hampering the International team? How important could a home tournament be for the game? Have England's fitness issues been addressed? What's it like being part of The Hundred Auction?

Amber Samdhu looks ahead to the IPL 2026 with The Traitor's (and cricketer) Faraaz Noor and former IPL star Abhishek Jhunjhunwala.

Mark Chapman, Michael Vaughan, Sir Alastair Cook and cricket correspondent Stephan Shemilt are joined by Managing Director of England Men's Cricket Rob Key, who explains England's review into their 4-1 Ashes defeat.

The panel talk through mistakes made in Australia, both in the planning and during the series, and why there won't be wholesale changes as a result.
TIME CODES
00:00 Intro
00:30 The review into English Cricket
02:00 Key management stay
06:00 Managing director Rob Key
08:00 What changes?
13:40 Lessons learnt from the Ashes
16:40 Style of play
22:30 What will look different this summer?
25:52 The connection with County Cricket
30:08 Have management been swayed by the coach?
33:14 Is the setup a clique or cult?
38:40 Opinions on the review
44:27 Should have everyone kept their jobs?
48:23 County Cricket